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Future Explorer

Kayden Graham takes a “dive” in the Alvin personnel sphere on display at WHOI’s Ocean Science Discovery Center in Woods Hole, Mass. The exhibit includes panels saved from previous Alvin overhauls and upgrades and represents how the interior of WHOI’s human-occupied submersible would have looked in the mid-1980s. The most recent upgrade was completed in 2013 and added a new, larger personnel sphere with a more ergonomic interior and improved visibility to the vehicle. The current iteration of the sub can carry 1,500 pounds (including the pilot and two scientists!), stay underwater for 6 to 10 hours, and dive to depths of almost 3 miles below the surface. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)